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The following sentence is from an essay by Thomas Reid:

Suppose a brave officer to have been flogged when a boy at school for robbing an orchard, to have taken a standard from the enemy in his first campaign, and to have been made a general in advanced life.

What does he mean by "taking a standard"?

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    Commented Mar 28, 2018 at 8:34

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This is the noun "standard" in sense 4 of the Oxford English: "A military or ceremonial flag carried on a pole or hoisted on a rope."

To take the standard of the enemy after a battle indicates your total victory. In ancient Rome, for example, to have your legion's own standard captured was one of the greatest shames that could come upon your legion.

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